


Scribbles

by aphrodites_dove



Category: All Time Low (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, College, F/M, Frank Iero for a chapter, Gay, Gerard/Lindsey for like 2 sentences, M/M, Supportive older sister, brief mention of bandit way, pure soft very drama-free, really dumb cliches, soft college gays, very very very light smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-21 07:30:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 7,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15552708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aphrodites_dove/pseuds/aphrodites_dove
Summary: After an unfortunate incident at school, Jack Barakat is kicked out and moves in with his older sister, May.Deciding it best to enroll early, Jack applies to go to his sister's college, and is surprisingly accepted.But joy is cut short on the first day of classes, when Jack runs into a familiar face.





	1. Catfish...Ed

_ jack _

nervously, i waited for the principal to finish up his speech. being the youngest graduate, i was incredibly uncomfortable in the June heat, and it wasn't just because of the sun raising hell on my head.

"and with that, a word from our student advisor and therapist, Raymond Toro." the principal finally concluded his speech, and Dr. Ray stepped up to the mic.

"students, staff and parents..." as soon as he started talking, i tuned out what was happening and focused on the tree line beyond the chain-link fence of the baseball field.

twenty minutes later, Dr. Ray stepped aside to let a group of girls present. i recognized one of them. Kim or Kylie or something... she asked me out freshman year and i turned her down.

tuning out her obnoxious voice, i focused on the blades of grass next to my foot, and worked on counting how many individual grass blades there were.

somewhere around 2:30, i heard a loud, collective gasp, and looked up.

then i blinked. once, then twice. then i rubbed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose to make sure i wasn't dreaming.

there, projected on the screen, were screenshots of conversations. conversations that i'd thought were between me and a guy, but clearly, i was wrong.

after everyone got over their initial shock, people started laughing. normally, people laughing wouldn't bother me, but suddenly i realized... my parents.

they were in the crowd.

now, the plan had been for me to stay with them for a year and get all the college stuff cleared up, but a feeling in my gut told me that plan wasn't going to last long.

Dr. Ray had flushed red, and fumbled with the projector. After many failed attempts, he managed to turn it off, and he quickly - and rather angrily - ushered the girls off the stage. Clearing his throat and attempting to regain composure, Dr. Ray carried on with his speech, but the rest of graduation was a blur, and soon i was fighting a crowd to get to my parents.

i found them in the parking lot, waiting next to my mom's car. awkwardly, i got in the backseat, and silently awaited my parents fury.

as soon as we got home, my mom rushed into the house and my dad turned off the car, craning his neck to look at me.

"how can you do this, Jack? we raised you right!" my dad yelled, more sad and disappointed than angry. "May was our first try and she's gone to dust and now you're gone too! you were a good kid! you got a scholarship to your sisters school but you let me down! you let your mother down!"

"Louis, shut up!" suddenly, my mom poked her head into the backseat. "Jack, pack your things. you're moving out."


	2. Moving On

_ jack _

"but... but..." i stuttered, as my mom grabbed my arm and yanked me out of the car.

"you've disgraced us with your... disgusting identity. pack up and leave." my mom spat, pushing me inside.

"y-yes ma'am." i replied, sprinting to my room. opening the shoebox full of cash, i shoved the shoebox into a plastic bag and the bag into my backpack. stuffing as much clothing as possible, i threw in a toothbrush for good measure, and zipped up my backpack.

taking out my phone, i scrolled through my contacts until i reached my older sister's.  
May.

i put her on dial and waited for her to pick up, as i stuffed the rest of my clothing into a duffel bag that used to be May's.

finally, she picked up.

"hey Jacky, how's my little bro doing?" May asked.

"not great... i'm getting kicked out." i replied, throwing my phone charger into the duffel.

"what?! why?!" May replied, shocked and angry.

"some kids outed me today. at graduation. not exactly how i'd planned to come out, but better now than never... right?" i tried to joke, but everything was really falling apart, as i took of my graduation cap & gown and threw on some jeans and a t-shirt.

"well, wait outside of the comic book shop on the corner of King and Serenity. my roommate Alex is in town, visiting family. i'll have him pick you up." May reasoned, and i heard her writing something down.

"May, you don't have t-" i began to tell her that i couldn't move in with her, i couldn't put that kind of weight on her.

"nonsense! i'm not going to just let my little brother roam around on the streets of Baltimore, what kind of older sister do you take me as?" May replied. "now i'm gonna call Alex. go to where i told you, alright? he'll probably swing by in, what, an hour or so. be ready. bye!"

before i could protest, May hung up, and i shoved my phone into my pocket.

as soon as i did, my mother burst into my room.

"you've got five minutes to-" she began to say something, but saw my packed backpack and duffel.   
"i see you're ready to go... then leave, you disgusting filth."

she grabbed my duffel and backpack and threw them at me. i scrambled to pick up the backpack and sling it over my shoulders, and then pick up the duffel bag and walk downstairs.

"get out of here, you son of a bitch." my mom spat, shoving me to the door.

"well at least you're self-aware." i replied, trying to keep my tone even as i walked out.

turning the corner, i forced myself to not think about what i just did, and i kept walking until i reached the start of King Street.

slowly, i walked to the end, where it met with Serenity Avenue. there, at the corner, was a comic book shop, with a bench conveniently placed outside.

sitting down, i checked the time. according to what May had said over the phone, her roommate Alex should be here in 30 minutes.   
great. now i've got 30 minutes to totally regret everything i just did.

not even 5 minutes into pondering, and a voice startled me.

"hey, kid, are you planning on coming in or just loitering around?" i looked up to see Frank, the owner of the comic book shop.

"oh... hey Iero." i replied, flicking my duffel.

"it's just you... what're you doin' out here, kid? you look like you're trying to run away or some shit. i've only seem that in Jersey." Frank commented, poking my backpack.

"uh, i got kicked out," i shrugged. "i'm waiting for my ride."

"oh, alright. you wanna come in? i just turned on the AC, it's fuckin' sweltering out here." Frank said, casually digging around in his pocket for a cigarette.

"ah... sure. did you get the new Doom Patrol issue yet?" i asked as Frank opened the door, and the embrace of cool air hugged me.

"yea, Mikey set aside a copy from the shipment, and Gerard let 'im take a few pictures of the sketches. i printed 'em out for ya." Frank answered, walking over behind the counter and sliding over a manila folder marked, in big, bold sharpie, 'BARAKAT'.

opening the folder, there was the brand-new copy, with four papers paper-clipped to the cover.

"thanks, man." i mumbled, skimming the pages.

"of course, kid." Frank nodded, going to the back room. "hey! you want a beer?"

"no thanks," i replied. "i don't drink... yet. only 17."

"oh, yea. forgot you're not 21 yet... fuck that, i was drinking when i was 15. of course... Jersey's a little different." Frank scoffed, jokingly, as he emerged from the back room with a can of beer.   
popping the tab and ripping it off, he took a long drink.

"you sure you don't want any?" Frank asked, looking at me.

"nah, i'm good. my ride's gonna be here in a few minutes anyway." i replied.

"alright. don't forget to take what's in the folder, and come visit ol' little Baltimore sometime, kid." Frank said, patting my shoulder and walking to the back room.

no more than a few minutes later, a car pulled up and a guy with brown hair and a 5-o'clock shadow got out, walking into the shop.

"hey, is there a Jack in here?" he asked me.

"yea. i'm Jack. May's little brother. i'm guessing you're Alex?" i answered, taking a leap.

"that's me. Alexander William Gaskarth. May told me to pick you up since i'm driving home." Alex explained, looking around.

"alright. just gotta put this in my bag and i'll be ready to go." i replied, taking the comic book and the pictures and putting them carefully in my duffel.

Frank quickly emerged from the back and gave me a pat on the back.

"don't forget to visit, alright kid? damn, Mikey and Gee are gonna miss your stupid, lanky ass." Frank said, jokingly. "seriously, don't get killed or anything, alright? i need my associate in one piece."

"you got it, Iero," i replied, jokingly patting him on the head. "i'll visit sometime."

"bye, kid." Frank nodded as i headed out with Alex.

"see ya, Iero." i nodded, and then stepped back out into the blazing sun.


	3. Temecula Sunrise

_ jack _

no more than half an hour into the drive, i fell asleep. my duffel was on the floor of the car, and my backpack was shoved amongst suitcases in the trunk of Alex's car.

soon, Alex shook me awake as we reached a rest stop.

"you want a burger or anything? there's probably somewhere to get food." Alex asked, as he got out of the car.

"eh... i'm not hungry but May will hound me if i don't eat something... just get me a pizza or something." i replied, only half-awake.

"sure." Alex nodded, and closed the car door behind him. Minutes later, i dozed off again.

by the time i woke up again, we were on the highway and the sun was setting.

"oh, you're awake. here's your food." Alex handed me a to-go pizza box.

"thanks." i nodded, opening the box.

"so, you're May's little brother? must be fun." Alex commented as i started to eat.

"yea. she's kind of annoying sometimes, but it's nice to know someone cares." i replied, idly swinging my foot back and forth, trying to not kick my duffel.

"she's real smart and stuff... she set me up with Tay, my girlfriend. you're a lucky kid." Alex remarked, turning off the highway and onto a tree lined street.

"oh, i think May mentioned her... they've been friends for a long time." i replied, casually.

"yea. the two peas in a pod, apparently. Tay's real sweet, you'll like her... i hope. she's got a lot of friends, like Lynn and Hayley. both real nice people. May's been hyping you up a lot but you don't seem to talk as much as she says..." Alex rambled on for a few more minutes, making another turn.

"uh, yea... i think i met Hayley. the one with the neon orange and red hair?" i asked, picking a piece of pepperoni off the pizza.

"yea... but not anymore. she's got this short, curly, blue sort of style now. she's pretty nice, really into the Beatles and Queen." Alex answered. "mind if i turn on the radio?"

"depends. what do you usually listen to?" i replied, picking off another piece of pepperoni.

"Green Day, Queen, really depends on how i'm feeling." Alex replied, taking a piece of pepperoni.

"really?" i asked, taking a bite of pizza.

"yea. May said you were a fan." Alex shrugged, pointing to the glove compartment. "there's some CDs in there... take a peek at them."

opening the glove compartment, i dug through stacks of CDs until i unearthed an odd one.

"what's this?" i asked, holding it up. Alex snuck a quick glance over before looking back at the road.

"oh, that's one of Tay's. someone in her cell bio class is the lead singer. his name's like... Brendon, i think." Alex explained. "that's their first one... they've got another one in there too. it's basically all about weed."

"sounds lovely... what about this one?" i asked, picking out another CD.

this continued for the rest of the car ride, me picking out CDs and Alex explaining their histories or why he had them.   
by the time he pulled up to May's apartment, we'd gone through half of his collection.

"Jack!" May called from the front step of the building.


	4. Brother

_ jack _

"oh my god, oh my god... i'm going to kill them... oh my god." May mumbled as she hugged me.

"who's this?" a groggy voice came from behind May.

"Tay, this is Jack, my little brother. Jack, this is Tay, Alex's girlfriend and my best goddamn friend." May smiled, stepping aside to reveal a girl with wavy brown hair and a cute button nose.

"i'm Tay." she smiled and stuck out her hand, and i set down my duffle bag to shake her hand.

"go back to bed, we'll catch up later." Alex mumbled to Tay, as May led me inside.

"your place is... big." i said as May showed me around.

"well, we don't have the three upper floors. there's a back staircase that they use. it sucks, because the guy renting above us is a drummer and practices at the most ungodly hours." May replied, tilting her head up. "damn asshole."

"anyway... do i get a room or am i expected to sleep on the couch?" i asked, sarcastically.

"hm? oh, you can pick. if you want to sleep in the guest room then you can stay there, or you can sleep on the couch. the benefit of sleeping on the couch is you're right next to the bathroom." May explained, shrugging.  
"although Alex's room is also right next to the living room, and he snores real loud."

"i think i'll take the guest room." i replied, hiking the straps on my backpack up higher.

"alright... i'll take the duffle." May said, grabbing my bag and casually walking to the guest room, as i trailed behind.

"don't fuck up the walls or anything, our landlord is a half-blind italian lady though, so if you chip a little paint off the wall we can cover it up with some of Tay's nail polish." May explained, dumping my duffle on the bed that was pressed into the corner off the room.

the walls were a pale, minty green color, and the room itself wasn't that large. just enough space for a bed, which was tucked into the corner, a desk next to the bed, and a small dresser and mirror on the wall adjacent to the wall the bed and desk were pressed against. a single, medium-sized window, with simple blinds, kept the room ventilated.

not too bad.

"now, rest up. we'll work out that technical shit tomorrow. and, no boys in your room unless you wash the sheets." May commented, as i flopped down on the bed.

"night, sis." i replied, dumping my backpack in the desk chair and pushing my duffle off the bed.

"night, idiot." May replied, closing the door behind her.


	5. The Talk

_ jack _

the next morning, i woke up to the sun shining rays of gay disappointment in my face, and also the sound of someone singing, the shower running, as well as the sound of someone cooking.

i laid in bed for a moment longer, realizing exactly what i'd done in the past 48 hours.

i'd graduated from high school, came out to at least a thousand people, got kicked out, got in a car with someone that i sorta knew, drove all the way to a whole new state, and was now living with 3 college graduates. and had no plan for my life, whatsoever.

"hey, you awake?" i heard May's voice from outside my door.

"yea." i replied, my voice still sounding groggy.

"well, Alex made breakfast, so you should come and eat. it's almost 9." May said, as i heard the shower turn off.

"okay. i'll be out in a minute." i replied, sitting up.

"great, i'll tell Alex to not eat everything." May joked. i heard footsteps retreating from my door, and i decided that 'in a minute' should probably be 5 minutes and not an hour, if i wanted to eat.

forcing myself out of bed, i found that someone had been considerate and moved my duffle on top of the dresser at the end of the room instead of leaving it on the ground. unzipping my duffle, i changed and then headed to the kitchen. finding May, Alex and Tay all talking.

"oh, look who's awake!" May smiled, and Alex offered a shy wave.

"well, i gotta go to work, i'll see you guys later... bye, babe." Alex said, kissing Tay on the cheek.

"bye, 'Lex." Tay replied, kissing Alex back.

as Alex put on his shoes, May started to rummage around in the mini fridge for something.

"crap! i forgot i have to take over Jenna's shift at the shop... i'll be back in about... an hour or so. bye!" Tay exclaimed, rushing out the door, with her shoes already on.

May tsked, before taking a carton of orange juice out of the mini fridge and pouring it into a glass, and taking two pieces of what appeared to be french toast out of the pan on the stove.

"here, drink. eat. then we'll talk." May ordered, putting the glass and plate down on the table and sitting next to me.

as soon as i finished, May pointed to the sink next to the stove.

"so, what're we exactly going to talk about?" i asked, sitting back down.

"school, job, all that." May replied, sighing and leaning back. "but first, Jack, what happened?"

"well, remember how there was that girl who kept asking me out and wouldn't leave me alone?" i asked, rather rhetorically.

"yea, she's the one who kissed you outside the locker room, right?" May said, leaning back in her chair.

"yep. that's her. she and some friends of hers catfished me and pretended to be a guy... and i fell for it." i replied, burying my face in my arms.

"that fucking bitch..." May muttered, cursing in another language before reverting back to english. "it's not your fault, okay? don't doubt yourself."

"i know, i know, but i feel so stupid! it was so obvious... god i'm an idiot." i said, sighing, exasperated with myself.

"no, no," May tsked, rubbing my back. "it's gonna be okay. we're gonna get you to a college and you'll be able to say 'fuck you!' to mom and dad someday, when you're successful."

"i mean... can i handle college? i just got kicked out. i don't know. distraction might be good." i replied, looking up at her.

"didn't you get a full scholarship here? you can go to my alma mater, because it's close by." May suggested, patting my arm.

"is there a music program?" i mumbled, resting my chin on my arms.

"yea, i took a lyrical assessment class with Professor Ballato, she's fantastic." May replied, patting my shoulder. "you don't have to, if you don't want to. if you're too stressed or anything that's fine."

"no, i'll think about it," i replied, sitting up straight. "when could i enroll?"

"well, they do term-by-term enrollment, and the first term starts in about a month and a half, but since you've got a scholarship, you shouldn't have to worry about it too much." May answered, resting her elbows on the table.

"okay... i'm gonna think about it." i replied, pushing my chair back and standing up.

"great. good talk, kiddo. now take a shower, you stink."


	6. Panic! In The Classroom

_ jack _

hiking the straps of my backpack higher up on my shoulders, i checked the number on the door to the tall brick building.

251, Righ Street. second floor, room 266.

swiping my student ID in the card lock, i waited for the light to turn green, and then pushed the door open.   
as soon as i entered, i was practically blinded by the bright lights, as well as the all-white interior. white floors, white walls, and a white desk, complete with white benches lining the walls.

"hello, how may i help you?" a guy from behind the desk asked.

"uh, i'm here for Professor Ballato's class... i was told i need an elevator pass because the stairwell was just painted." i replied, leaning to look at the plaque on his desk.

Alan.

"oh, yea. forgot about that. here, please put it in the deposit box inside the elevator. we've already lost..." he took a moment to count on his fingers. "6 of them."

"uh, okay. thanks!" i replied, heading down the hallway, past the desk, following a sign that read 'ELEVATOR'.

sure enough, there was a set of closed elevator doors at the end of the hallway, and there was a light scanner above the up and down buttons.

holding the pass that Alan gave me, the buttons lit up and i pressed the 'up' one, waiting for the elevator.

as the doors slid open, i let the two people on get off, and then stepped on. just as the doors were closing, some guy ran up and sprinted in, last second.

"floor 2?" he asked, panting.

"uh, yea." i replied, looking at my feet.

"sorry about that... i'm Patrick. i woke up a little late..." he introduced himself, pressing the '2' button. the elevator lurched upward, and i took in the rather short human in the elevator.

jack skellington-printed hoodie. grey shirt. jeans. black beanie. oversized glasses. sneakers. messenger bag. by the looks of it, he might've been bald, since the beanie covered his head. kinda chubby, although i'm practically a stick... probably no taller than 5'6", although it wasn't exactly fair to call him short, being over 6 feet tall.

"Professor Ballato's class, right?" i asked as the elevator doors opened.

"huh? yea. i'm a freshman, sorry." Patrick replied, awkwardly looking down as he stepped off the elevator.

"don't worry, i am too. i'm May Barakat's little brother, not sure if her name spreads around here like she says." i said, shrugging. i followed about a pace behind him was we walked to room 266.

"right on time." Patrick commented, checking a watch on his wrist that i hadn't noticed earlier, and pushing open the door.

"great." i replied, following him into the room.

at the front of the room was a woman in all-black, from her heeled boots to her flowy t-shirt.  
i say down at the back desk, waiting for her to turn around.

as soon as i plopped down, someone tapped my arm. i turned to see who it was, and my blood went cold.

i was looking into the hazel eyes of Zack Merrick, the straight-A student from my graduating class.


	7. Freeze Frame, Record Scratch

_ zack _

out of everyone from my graduating class, there were very few people i actually wished to really remember. Jack Barakat was one of them, and not exactly one i'd be able to forget either.

now, i'm not homophobic. that'd be rather hypocritical of my gay self. but it was pretty obvious that when Jack got outed, he was just as shocked as everyone else.

he'd been kind of a loud mouth, sure, and did i expect him to become a burnout stoner? kind of. it shocked me when he was put on the early graduation path, and i was just as shocked to see him in Professor Ballato's class.

'act like nothing happened.' i thought, and carried on with what i'd planned on saying.

"hey, could i borrow a pencil?" i asked, holding my hand out.

"uh... pencil. no. i mean, yea." Jack fumbled with his backpack, before pulling out a pencil and handing it to me. "sorry." he blushed, and shoved his backpack underneath the desk.

"alright, if anyone else is planning on coming to class, they're late now." Professor Ballato turned around, walking down the rows of desks to the back of the room, standing right next to the door. "i'm Professor Ballato, although that was probably inferable. i'll bother with that attendance shit later, let's get to what we'll be covering."

walking over to the whiteboard, Professor Ballato grabbed a marker from the tray and started writing.

"this is a lyrical assessment class. you'll learn about lyricism, we'll have a lot of talks about metaphors, poems, and what you can communicate using lyrics. the basics. then we'll move on to more heavy stuff, which i've posted on the class page, which brings me to my next point." furiously writing on the board, Professor Ballato stepped aside to show a bulleted list of the curriculum for the year.

printed below the list was a link.

"i trust that most of you have rich mommies and daddies and have laptops, or bought ones of your own. if not, i'll project it from my own up here." Professor Ballato sprinted back to the front of the room, opening her laptop and typing away.

reaching into the bag i brought with me, i pulled out the tablet that my friend Rian had bought for me as a parting gift.

"alright, type in the link and take a few minutes to review the index and whatnot, while my computer boots up." Professor Ballato said, tapping her computer.

✻ ✼ ✻ ✼ ✻

for the rest of class, it took all of my willpower to not focus on the fact that the one kid who made me realize that i was gay, the one kid who i had a crush on for years, was sitting right next to me, doing alright.

i'd thought that i'd never see him after graduation. that my crush would eventually fade and i'd find another. nope. as soon as i was looking at his stupid, smirking face, i could feel those goddamn butterflies in my stomach.


	8. My Heart Won't Go On, Dammit!

_ jack _

i got home from class, and Tay was out, while Alex was watching TV, and May was doing work.

"how was school?" May asked, standing up and whispering so Alex couldn't hear. "got a boyfriend yet?"

"May!" i replied, whacking her arm. "no, but i gotta tell you something really quick."

"okay, spill." May stepped back, cocking her head.

"can i tell you in... private...?" i said, trying to discreetly point at Alex.

"hm? oh, yea." May nodded, and turned to Alex. "i'm gonna help Jack with some stuff, okay? don't start the next season without me, you shrub."

"you got it, boss." Alex replied, grabbing the remote.

"alright, let's go." May turned back to me, walking to her room.

as soon as she locked the door behind her, she sat down on her bed.

"spill."

"okay, so there's this guy from my graduating class in my lyrical assessment class and he's really freaking hot, like he used to be kinda shrimpy and stuff but now he's really buff..." i rambled as May nodded, until i trailed off and she went quiet, thinking.

"well, you have a crush on him, and i'll give you some news... he's probably oblivious. the best you could do is flirt around with him and see what he does, i guess. i'm single, so i can't help much." May replied, chuckling a little.

"do you know anyone who could actually help?" i sighed, a little exasperated.

"actually... Alex is pretty openly bi, i could see what he can do. you'd have to be... y'know, out, though. i won't say anything if you don't want me to." May said, glancing at her locked door.

"no, i don't think i'm ready to do... that. i'll just go with what you said and trust you. you're pretty good at playing cupid for someone who's single." i replied, shrugging. "good talk."

"yea, good talk." May smiled and gave me a hug.

✻ ✼ ✻ ✼ ✻

_zack_

as soon as i got home from my last class, i called my friend and the ATM of my friend group, Rian.

"hey, what's up?" Rian said, casually.

"okay, so, you remember the guy i had a crush on?" i replied, sitting down.

"oh yea, the early graduate kid who was on the soccer team... what was his name? Jacob? yea, i remember him." Rian replied. "why?"

"he's... he's here. he's in my class with Professor Ballato." i explained, sighing. "and his name is Jack, not Jacob."

"i was close enough... and didn't you say you got over him?" Rian's voice took a suspicious, almost accusatory, tone.

"maybe... but, damn. he's hot. i can't just have a hot guy in my class all year and not do anything!" i replied, getting exasperated.

"flirt with him. be friends. see where it goes, man! i gotta go now, Alex wants help planning his date with Tay. they're celebrating their anniversary. i'll call you later, bye!" with that, Rian hung up.


	9. Partners in Project, Lovers in Prospect

_ zack _

as soon as i got to Professor Ballato's room, i realized that i was the only one there, aside from Professor Ballato herself, and she was on the phone.

"hm? yes. Lady B is sick, but i have a class so you could call J and see what she can do. and thanks for dropping Susan off at the vet... shit, my class starts in five minutes. love ya, babe!" Professor Ballato hung up and swiveled around in her chair, writing on a notepad.

"take a seat, please. it bothers me to see you stand so awkwardly." she said, without even looking up.

i sat down quickly, as a few other people started to file into the room.   
as they got seated, Professor Ballato glanced at the clock and then at the door.

more people began to come in, and i almost jumped out of my skin when i felt a hand on my shoulder.

"is this seat taken?" a familiar voice asked. Jack Barakat.

"no..." i replied, moving my bag so he could sit down.

as Professor Ballato waited for the few absent people to show up, Jack struck up a conversation.

"so, uh, didn't really expect to see you here..." he commented. "not like it's a bad thing or anything, you look pretty different."

"i could say the same about you." i replied, noting that the bleached section in his hair was gone, his hair styled like a faux-hawk, and the edge of a tattoo peaked out of the collar of his shirt.

hot.

"i'm not nearly half as ripped as you are," Jack replied. "you look good."

"u-uh... thanks." i mumbled, feeling myself turn a shade of pink as Professor Ballato stood up from her seat, officially starting class.

"alright, so today i'm announcing your first major project. and i don't want to hear any of that, 'but we haven't learned anything!' that's the point of this. let's see how much you already know. now, because i don't want you all to fail my class, i'll allow you to work with a partner so the kids in this class that signed up to fill a requirement won't crash and burn." Professor Ballato explained, grabbing a thick stack of packets on her desk.  
"take one and pass it back, simple shit, people!"

"can we pick our own partners?" a girl from the back of the room called out.

"you're grown, i trust that you can pair yourselves up without getting killed." Professor Ballato replied, sitting back down at her desk.

"wanna be partners?" Jack asked, poking my arm.

"uh... yea, sure." i replied, as the stack of packets was passed back to us.

i grabbed two, and then passed the stack backwards, as Professor Ballato pulled up a powerpoint on her laptop.  
as she started to boot up the projector, i sink into my chair, skimming the packet.

i had to write lyrics to a song about whatever i wanted, with the assistance of a partner... that partner was my crush and the lyrics were certainly going to be about him.


	10. God Bless This Boy, He's Gonna Need It

_ jack _

after class, Zack and i exchanged addresses so we knew where to meet each other, and settled on sometime around 4:30.

my next two classes were a blur, as i anxiously waited for the day to end.

as i walked back to May's apartment, a car pulled up and Zack stuck his head out the driver's side window.

"it's kinda cold, need a lift?" he asked, shyly.

"yea, thanks." i replied, scurrying around his car and getting in on the passenger side. the car was a lot warmer than outside, and i put my backpack in the backseat as he drove down the road.

"should i drop you off at your place, or do you just want to go to mine and work..." Zack asked, trailing off and glancing at me, before looking back at the road.

"let's go back to your place." i said, realizing the awkwardly sexual implications of what i'd said a little too late.

"what? oh, okay." Zack nodded, taking a left.

"so, you have a girlfriend or anything? ladies must be all over your new look." i cheekily commented, enjoying the way he blushed.

"nah, don't really swing that way." he replied, casually.

well, that just upped my chances with him by a sevenfold.

"you and i have that in common." i smirked, as he looked at me in mild shock.

after a few minutes of awkward silence, Zack stopped the car.

"we're, uh, we're here." he said, awkwardly. in a gentleman-like fashion, he got out of the car and walked around to help me out, and grab my bag.

"thanks." i smiled, taking my bag and purposefully brushing my hand against his.

this was gonna be fun.


	11. Netflix n Chill... Your Dick

_ jack _

as we got in the building's elevator, i purposefully stumbled as the elevator lurched upwards, falling into Zack's arms.

"sorry, that tends to happen." i apologized, standing up straight.

"u-m... it's okay." he replied, blushing.

damn that's adorable.

as the elevator doors opened, Zack stepped off, and i followed him. while we were walking to his apartment, i got a text from May.

'where the hell are you?!' her text read.

'w/ zack, we're partners for a project ;)' i replied, as Zack worked on unlocking the door to his apartment.

'b safe, you two. use protection!!' May texted back. i chuckled as Zack shoved the door open. following him in, he walked over to a mini fridge that sat on a small bit of counter space.

"want a drink?" he offered, grabbing a bottle of water.

"no, i'm good, thanks." i replied, wandering into the small living room attached to the kitchen/mud room.

"uh... so, do you have any idea on what to write?" Zack asked, trailing behind me and sitting down on the couch.

dumping my bag on the ground between the couch and the short coffee table, i sat down next to Zack, grabbing a spiral-bound notebook i had for the class and putting in on the table.

"well, we could write about some basic stuff. love, loss, heartbreak, a stupid nostalgia song about summer, i dunno." i suggested, messily writing down the ideas in a bulleted list.

"i think love covers a lot of like... general stuff, so it'd be easiest to write about." Zack explained, shrugging. "what do you think?"

"that makes a lot of sense... yea, let's do that. good idea." i nodded, circling 'love' on the list.

"anyone you wanna write about?" Zack asked, blushing. "sorry, that was weird."

"hm..." i tapped my pencil on my chin, biting my lip, pretending to think. "i think i have a few ideas..." i trailed off, intentionally resting my gaze on his lips.

he'd probably be a great kisser.

"uh... we should probably brainstorm some subtopics of love, maybe?" Zack nervously suggested, hiding his face in the sleeve of his hoodie.

fuck. that's adorable.

"yea, yea. that's a good idea." i replied, writing down 'LOVE' and underlining it.

✻ ✼ ✻ ✼ ✻

after brainstorming and writing for a solid 3 or so hours, i got a call from May.

"one sec, my sister's calling." i said, standing up and walking into the kitchen.

"hey, May. great timing." i said, sarcastically.

"sorry, were you two just about to fuck?" May jokingly replied. "Alex is gonna order pizza and we're taking a vote on if we get pineapple or no pineapple. Alex says no pineapple, Tay says pineapple, and i don't care. you're the tiebreaker."

"tell Alex that i'm sorry, but i'm with Tay. pineapple." i replied. a few moments later, i heard Tay's voice going "FUCK YEA! SUCK IT, GASKARTH!"

"great. use protection!" May said, hanging up.

i walked back to where Zack was sitting. as i sat down, he showed me some of the other stuff he'd brainstormed.

about half an hour later, Zack drove me back to May's apartment.

"hey, i... i had fun. it's nice working with you." he said, walking me to the door.

"same to you, i'll see you around." i replied, pulling out a sticky note that i'd written my cell phone number on. "call me."


	12. Use Protection, You Idiots

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning for you vanilla fucks

_ jack _

"f-fuck... oh, god..." i moaned, arching my back off the mattress as Zack pounded into me.

both of us were sweaty, and i could barely feel the rest of my body as i was racked with pleasure and increasingly intense waves of lust.

"...'m close..." i warned, digging my nails into Zack's back, feeling the warm sensation pooling lower in my stomach.

Zack started jerking me off, as i arched my back higher off the mattress at the sensation.

"cum for me, babe." he murmured in my ear, his voice raspy.

[coast is clear, you vanilla fucks]

but before i could, i woke up with some insane morning wood.

"fuckin' seriously..." i mumbled, rooting through the dresser in my room for clothes, since a cold shower seemed to be in my future.

just as i was about to leave my room and go to the bathroom i got a call from, just my luck, Zack.

"hey," i said, holding my phone to my ear with my shoulder.

"hi... uh, you gave me your number and i was, uh, i was wondering if you wanted to go out for coffee or something today? not like a date or anything, unless you, like, y'know..." Zack rambled a little.

"that sounds great! i just woke up, but would... 11:30 work? i could have my sister drop me off at your place or i could take public transport to wherever." i replied, smiling. my crush just basically asked me out, who wouldn't smile?

"i'll pick you up, if... if that's okay." Zack stammered.

why is this boy so adorable? jesus.

"sure! should i text you my address?" i asked, as someone knocked on my door.

"yea, that'd be great. i'll... i'll see you in about an hour." Zack replied, before hanging up.

"who is it?" i asked to the person standing behind my door.

"it's May, just giving you a wake-up call but you seem to be up already." May replied, before adding on, "who were you talking to?"

"Zack. he's gonna swing by here and we're gonna get coffee." i said, nonchalantly. May gasped, and then patted me on the back.

"well, go shower or whatever. use protection!" she said, smiling jokingly, before waltzing out of my room.

grabbing my shower stuff, i headed to the bathroom and set my towel on the counter, turning on the shower.

✻ ✼ ✻ ✼ ✻

when i got out of the shower and got changed, i headed to the kitchen and found May talking to Zack.

"oh, here he is. Jack, your date is here!" May smiled, before turning back to Zack. "be careful, alright? be nice to my brother."

as i put on my shoes and grabbed my phone, i heard May half-seriously warn Zack about what would happen if anything happened to me that was his fault.

"May, i'll be fine." i said, squeezing past her.

"can't do anything for you, can i?" May tsked, jokingly. "have fun, you two! don't get killed."

"i'll try." i replied, following Zack out of May's apartment and to his car.

"your sister is... interesting." he commented, shrugging. "does she think we're dating or something?"

"uh, yea. kinda. i'll explain better once i've been caffeinated."


	13. Coffee Shop Soundtrack

_ jack _

"so, uh, is this like a date?" Zack asked, nervously, after insisting that he pay for my coffee and croissant.

"i mean... do you want it to be?" i replied, watching him shyly nod. "then it looks like we're on the same page. i should probably ask you, formally... do you want to be my boyfriend?"

"y-yea." Zack blushed, pecking me on the cheek.

"two days into college and i have an incredibly ripped and handsome boyfriend. this shit ain't half bad." i smiled, getting another kiss on the cheek from Zack.

"and i have a lanky, dorky boyfriend. everything's going great." he smiled, kissing my forehead.

✻ ✼ ✻ ✼ ✻

"what do you wanna watch?" Zack asked, grabbing the remote. i was cuddling into his side on the couch in his apartment, snacking on popcorn.

"hm... beauty and the beast?" i suggested, shrugging. Zack nodded, smiling and resting his head on my shoulder.

halfway through the movie, i heard a soft snore, and realized that Zack has fallen asleep on my shoulder.goddammit, he's adorable.

as i weaved my fingers in his hair, half watching the movie and half creepishly watching Zack sleep, i looked at the events that had taken place in the past few hours.

i certainly hadn't planned to be playing with my boyfriend's hair at 3pm on a Saturday. to be totally honest, i hadn't even planned to have a boyfriend.

but life works in mysteriousways.


	14. You May Kiss the Barakat

_ narrative _

"you'll be fine, he loves you." Alex assured a nervous Jack for the nth time, as Jack adjusted his bow tie.

"i know, i know, just last minute nerves." Jack replied, as May popped her head into the hotel room.

"hey, are you fuckers ready? we gotta get this show on the road, you divas!" she said, before closing the door.

in a room just down the hall, Tay was giving the same heads-up to Zack and his best man, Rian.

"well, you heard the lady. let's go." Rian commented, patting Zack's shoulder.

"May told us that we have to wait until she gives us the signal. she's got everything planned out." Zack replied, shrugging. just as he said that, May popped her head in, flashing two thumbs up.

"Jack and Alex are in the car with Tay. Cass is waiting by your car, with Hayley. i'm going with Tay." May explained, before running off.

waiting until her footsteps retreated, Zack and Rian headed down the hallway, out the lobby and located the car with Rian's girlfriend, Cass, and Zack's friend, Hayley.

"hey, hey, it's the blushing bride." Hayley commented, jokingly, as Zack smiled.

"you just had to dye your hair two days before my wedding, didn't you?" Zack asked, jokingly, as he poked Hayley's bright orange hairdo.

"yep. you said everything had to fit with the blue color scheme, so i took that as an invite to dye my hair orange. now, ladies first." Hayley replied with a smile, before opening the car door and stepping aside.

after a short drive to the chapel where they were getting married, May started organizing everyone, pointing and pushing until everyone was in line.

"alright, Rian and Cass and then Alex and Tay, and then Hayley and i will follow. Alex and Tay, wait 5 steps before you start, and then same for you, Hayley. Jack, wait 7 steps, and Zack, you're going to wait 3 steps. wait at the door and Jack will join you." May explained, fussing over Jack's hair as the chapel doors opened.

Rian and Cass started walking, followed by Alex and Tay. May looked over her shoulder and winked at Jack, before she and Hayley walked in.

Zack started walking first, waiting at the door just as they'd rehearsed multiple times. Jack walked up next to him and they linked arms, before walking down the aisle as everyone smiled, a few people crying what werehopefully happy tears.

as the time came to recite their vows, May nudged Jack and pointed at a couple - their parents - sitting front and center, smiling. Jack turned his attention back to his soon-to-be husband, who began his vows.

"ever since freshman year, i had a crush on your stupid, lanky face. it took me five years and the help of some friends to grow a pair and ask you out, but here we are. after eight and a half years of what was sometimes heaven, sometimes hell, but always love, i can proudly say that you're my best friend, my partner in crime, and today, my husband," Zack paused for a minute to flip his notecard over and wipe away a few tears. "we've been through some of our hardest times together, and i can't imagine having a better shoulder to cry on. Jack Bassam Barakat, i love you."

Zack, nearly in tears, as well as almost everyone else in the chapel, couldn't help but giggle as Jack fumbled with his prompt cards.

"uh... the way i came out was rather unconventional. it felt a little more like the closet door had been kicked down for me, and i was given the option of either walking out or putting the door back up. and my gay ass sashayed out of that closet and into my sister's apartment, and, additionally, into the arms of this handsome little shit, who is now my husband. damn, that feels good to say! Zack, you've been my rock, my protector, my best friend and my lover. i can wholeheartedly say that i love you." Jack smiled cheekily as Justin, a close friend of Zack and Jack's, who just so happened to be ordained, continued on with the ceremony.

finally, came the moment they all waited for.

"you may kiss the Barakat."


End file.
